I'd like to put in my two cent's worth about spoilers, not only on the
757 but on numerous aircraft. I'd appreciate any input.
I'm no expert at aircraft design, and your point is well taken that
often one needs engines spooled up and therefore may use spoilers to
control speed. However, this is almost never TOGA thrust. Has anyone
given consideration to connecting the two? That is, spoilers would be
available as required up to a certain point, but when TOGA thrust is
selected (as in a GPWS escape maneuver) they would automatically
retract. I can think of another accident (Avianca's 747 CFIT accident
in Madrid in the 80's) in which automatic spoiler retraction could have
helped.
Thanks.
Dave Keasal
>----------
>From: talleur donald a[SMTP:dtalleur_at_ux1.cso.uiuc.edu]
>Sent: Monday, January 27, 1997 9:28 AM
>To: crm-devel_at_db.erau.edu
>Subject: Re: cali accident
>
>Hugo,
> The report is available from columbian gov. I suggest a review might
>answer your questions. In any event, the 757 has valid reasons for not
>retracting spoilers with the addition of power. There are several reasons
>for wanting to maintain high RPM while descending and having the spoilers
>deployed is one way of doing it. Remember that these are in-flight spoilers,
>not ground spoilers (which activate and deactivate on various parameters).
>The report explains this very well and I do not see any design flaw in this
>system arrangement.
> As for the pilot's ability: Both pilots were plenty experienced
>according to the report. However, I do not believe that their experience
>flying planes in general is at issue. More likely, the issue is whether or
>not the FMS display adequately supported situational awareness in this case.
>It appears that it did not. When looking at accidents like these, I like to
>ask myself (being a pilot) If I were in this situation could I have made the
>same mistake? I also ask if the accident would have occured if the cockpit
>had been "steam gauges" instead of "glass". I find it hard to believe, in my
>analysis of this accident, that it would have occured in a steam gauge
>aircraft..
>--
>Donald Anders Talleur email: dtalleur_at_uiuc.edu
>Institute of Aviation- Willard Airport
>Aviation Research Laboratory- 244-8687
>Pilot Training- 244-8606
>
>If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything!
>(Bill Lyon: Philadelphia)
>